Heating fluid circulating system

ABSTRACT

A fluid-circulating system includes a fluid-containing heating circuit and a discrete hot water circuit. Each circuit has a portion adjacent to the other. One or more radiators are provided in the heating circuit, and a boiler is similarly provided in the heating circuit. Circulators are provided in both circuits for circulating the fluids therein. A heat exchanger is associated with the adjacent portions of both circuits and effects heat exchange between the fluids in these adjacent portions whereby the fluid in the hot water circuit is indirectly heated by the boiler of the heating circuit.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Antonino Adriano Trlmboll Calle Alberto Aqullera No. 32, Madrid, Spain [2]] Appl. No. 804,053 [22] Filed Feb. 27, I969 [45] Patented Nov. 9, 1971 [54] HEATING FLUID CIRCULATING SYSTEM 13 Claims, 5 Drawing Figs.

[52] 11.8. C1 237/8, 237/ 19 [51] Int. Cl F24d 3/02, F 24d 3/08 [50] Field oiSearch 237/8,19; 165/67 56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,208,157 7/1940 Grutzner 237/8 2,266,193 12/1941 Grutzner 237/2 A 905,139 12/1908 Berge 237/8 2,170,507 8/1939 Rice et a1. 237/8 2,189,941 2/1940 Cornell 237/8 2,477,824 8/1949 Reiss 165/67 X 2,841,337 7/1958 Haugen 237/8 2,948,277 8/1960 Dennis 237/19 X 3,153,443 10/1964 Kritzer 165/67 Primary Examiner-Edward .1. Michael Attorney-Michael S Striker ABSTRACT: A fluid-circulating system includes a fluid-containing heating circuit and a discrete hot water circuit. Each circuit has a portion adjacent to the other. One or more radiators are provided in the heating circuit, and a boiler is similarly provided in the heating circuit. Circulators are provided in both circuits for circulating the fluids therein. A heat exchanger is associated with the adjacent portions of both circuits and effects heat exchange between the fluids in these adjacent portions whereby the fluid in the hot water circuit is indirectly heated by the boiler of the heating circuit.

PATENTEDuuv' 9 nan 3,51 ,e 53

sum 1 or 2 aura o Mum 12010061 4, ib-Jan Lila-l! HEATING FLUID CIRCULATING SYSTEM BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION controls and the like. Evidently, this results in the duplication of many components which may be quite expensive, as well as in an increase in the maintenance and fuel costs involved.

It is clear that a simplification of these arrangements, including a reduction in the separate components required, in the fuel consumption and the extent of necessary maintenance, would be highly desirable. Furthermore, a more adequate control of the individual circuits is desirable but has not heretofore been attained.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to provide such a system which is greatly simplified, less expensive in its installation and less expensive in its maintenance, as well as in its fuel consumption.

Pursuant to this object, and others which will become apparent hereafter, one feature of my invention resides in the provision of a system of the type here under discussion, wherein I provide a pair of discrete fluid-containing circuits each of which has a portion adjacent to the other. Heat-dissipating means are provided in one of the circuits, namely the heating circuits, in form of one or more radiators or the like. In the same circuit I provide heating means such as a boiler or the like. Circulating means is operative for effecting circulation of fluids in both circuits. However, it is to be noted that the circulation of fluids in both circuits is entirely independent, as are in fact the respective circuits independent from one another except for the very few components which are common to them both.

Finally, I provide also heat-exchanger means which are associated with both of the circuits and are operative for effeeting heat exchange between the fluids in the adjacent portions of the circuits, whereby the fluid in the other of the circuitsnamely in the hot water circuitis indirectly heated by the heating means provided in the one circuit, namely the heating circuit.

It is clear that this type of construction according to the present invention requires only a single heating means in form of a boiler or the like having the necessary heating capacity. n the other hand, and by constructing the hot water circuit as an independent circuit, I make it possible to maintain the fluid therein in constant circulatory motion, to replenish any hot fluid which has been withdrawn at one of the outlets, and to immediately and constantly restore the temperature of fluid in the hot water circuit to the desired level even if new water has just been introduced to replenish a quantity withdrawn at one of the outlets. In accordance with my invention new water is introduced into the hot water circuit upstream of the heat exchanger which in turn is located upstream of the user devices, such as faucets or the like. This assures that newly incoming water must first pass through the heat exchanger and that, when one of the user devices withdraws some water from the circuit, this water will always be hot whereby the need for the water to become hot at the respective outlet is eliminated.

l have further provided control means for controlling in an automatic manner the operation of the various components associated with the two circuits in dependence upon indications provided by suitable sensors.

Additionally I have provided a particularly simple and most advantageous type of radiator for use in the heating circuit of my novel system; although I wish to emphasize that any type of conventional radiator can be used, my novel radiator is much simpler and less expensive to construct than those known from the prior art, and is also much more readily mountable.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of a system embodying my invention;

FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram showing the electrical components of the control arrangement which I have provided for the system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a radiator according to my invention and for use in the system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a top-plan view of FIG. 3; and FIG. 5 is a view of one of two identical mounting brackets used in conjunction with the radiator of FIGS. 3 and 4.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Discussing now the drawing in detail, and firstly FIG, 1 thereof, it will be seen that reference numeral 1 identifies an inlet which connects the (nonillustrated) source of water, such as the water main, with a tempering and expansion tank 2 of know construction. A conduit 17 in turn connects the tank 2, which latter is provided with a level-control device responsive to the level of liquid in the tank, with a water filter unit 3. Again, the unit 3 is of known construction and it is associated via a suitable conduit with two pumps or circulators 4, 4' whose operation will be described in more detail later. The pumps 4, 4' are in turn connected via a suitable conduit 25 with the conventionally constructed boiler 5.

The boiler 5 has well-known burners 6 serving to combust a fuel supplied to them from a fuel tank 7 via a conduit 8 in which a (diagrammatically illustrated) pump may be inserted for supplying the fuel to the burner or burners 6. Of course, gravity feed may also be utilized.

Water supplied to the boiler through the conduit 25 is heated in the boiler 5 in conventional manner; it leaves the boiler through the outlet conduit 9 and from there is channeled via a connecting conduit 10 towards the radiators 15, that is the heat-dissipating means associated with the heating circuit, and via the conduit 11 towards the hot water circuit.

The heat-dissipating means, that is the radiators 15, may be of any conventional construction or they may be of the advantageous type which I have disclosed in FIGS. 3-5 of the present application, still to be discussed later. After passing through the radiators 15 the water returns through conduit 16 to the tank 2 and from there resumes its circulation through the system.

In the summertime it will be necessary to operate the boiler in order to obtain hot water in the hot water circuit; it will not, however, be necessary to operate the radiators. In order to make possible the operation of the system without the radiators I have provided a bypass circuit 18 connecting the filter unit 3 with the outlet conduit 9 of the boiler so that that portion of heated water which is not channeled into the conduit 11, that-is the portion which in the wintertime would be channeled into the conduit 10, can now be channeled through the bypassconduit 18 into the filter and from there returned via the pumps 4, 4' to the boiler. A bypass valve 23 is provided which may even channel the heated water issuing from the conduit 9 through the bypass circuit 24 directly into the conduit 25 and from-there back into the boiler.

In the foregoing I have described the heater circuit of the system according to my invention. The system further comprises the hot water circuit shown at the right-hand side of FIG. 1 and clearly visible as being a discrete circuit. The hot water circuit receives its supply of water from its input 26 which is connected with the water main or another suitable supply of cold water. A portion 27 of the hot water circuit is located in conventional heat-exchanging relationship with the heat exchanger 12 associated with the portion or conduit 11 of the heating circuit. Reference numeral 28 indicates a feeder line connecting the heat-exchanging portion of the hot water circuit with the user devices, such as faucets or the like 29, and a return flow conduit 30 connects the feeder line 28 with the portion 27. A pump 31 is provided which maintains the water in this circuit in circulation. It will be noted that the cold water input 26 communicates with the hot water circuit upstream of the heat exchanger 12 whereas the various user devices 29 are located downstream of the heat exchanger 12. This, in combination with the constant circulation of liquid by the pump 31, assures that hot water is always immediately available at any one of the devices 29 the moment the same is put into operation. On the other hand, as water is withdrawn from one of the devices 29, it must be replaced in the hot water circuit and this is conventionally accomplished through the input 26 which will admit additional water in response to a pressure drop in the hot water circuit. Because the cold water input 26 is located upstream of the portion 27 which is associated with the heat exhanger 12, the newly incoming cold water must pass through the heat exchanger and it is therefore impossible for any water to arrive in cool or cold condition at one of the user devices 29.

A drain 32 is provided for draining both circuits, either individually or jointly.

Reference numeral 14 designates a pump which establishes circulation of fluid through the conduits 9, ll, 13 of the heater circuit Reference numeral 19 identifies a conventional but very sensitive sensor which may be located outside the heated area to pennit control of the operation of the heating circuit in response to the temperature prevailing outside the heated area. Reference numeral 20 designates a thermostatic programming device of known construction which may be set at the will of a user for operation on hourly, daily, weekly or even monthly preset cycles, subject to control by the indications derived from the sensor 19. Reference numeral 21 identifies the electrical connection between the device 20 and the burners 6 of the boiler to transmit starting or stopping signals to the burners. Reference numeral 22 identifies the electrical connection between the device and the bypass valve 23. Reference numeral 33 identifies what I prefer to call a minimum temperature thermostat, reference 34 a mean temperature thermostat and reference numeral 35 a maximum temperature thermostat. The operation of these three devices will be described in more detail hereafter.

Reference numeral 36 identifies a room temperature thermostat and reference numeral 12a identifies a filter associated with the heat exchanger 12.

In FIG. 2 I have shown the electrical circuit diagram for the system of FIG. 1. 16 illustrates the main switch for the system, F identifies the protective fuses for the system and AT the autotransformer for voltage selection. On the switchboard DI have shown the two operational conditions of the system, Dl indicating winter operation when both the heater circuit and the hot water circuit are operative and DV identifying summer operation when only the hot water circuit is operative.

Pl identifies the control for the pump 4 and P2 identifies the control for pump 4 arranged in series with P1. P3 is the control for pump 14 in that portion 9, l1, 13 of the heater circuit which passes through the heat exchanger 12, and P4 is the control for pump 31 which maintains circulation of fluid in the hot water circuit.

As mentioned earlier, the expansion and tempering tank 2 is provided with a level control; reference designation IR identifies the switch associated with this level control.

TMl identifies the minimum temperature thermostat 33 which is mounted on the filter unit 3 and which may be responsive at a selected temperature of, say, 50-90 C. TM2 is the thermostat identified with reference numeral 34 in FIG. 1 and regulating the temperature of the hot water supplied to the heat exchanger 12. TM3 is a maximum temperature thermostat mounted on pipe or conduit 10 and operative at temperatures of, say C. or higher. TM4 is a minimum temperature thermostat provided on the output conduit 9 of the boiler 5 and operative at, say, 50 C.

TMA is a room temperature thermostat located in the area heated by the radiators 15.

C, B identifies the control for the burners 6 in the boiler 5, EP2 is the switch for emergency operation of pumps P1 and P2, OR is the programming device 20 of known construction and which may be adjustable for hourly, daily, weekly, monthly operation, and E0 is a switch for disconnecting this programming device.

The operation of this system will hereafter be described on the assumption that the system is set for winter operation, corresponding to the DI setting of the switchboard D in FIG. 2. If, with this setting, the main switch 16 is placed into on position, the pump 4 will operate and only when this pump and the necessary preset water level has been reached in tank 2 to deactivate the low-level control IN in the tank, the burners 6 will be switched on by the device CB to heat boiler 5. Water input is initiated through conduit 17 to the filter unit 3 where the water is freed of sludge or other filterable elements which might damage components of the system or cause them to malfunction; from the unit 3 the filtered water passes through the pumps 4, 4 to the boiler 5 where it is heated and which it leaves through the outlet conduits 9, 10 to the radiators 15 to return from the same through conduits 16, tank 2 and conduit 17 in order to repeat its circulation.

Initially only pump 4 is in operation and pump 4' is activated only when the thermostat 3d, identified in F IG. 2 with reference designation TM4, reaches its preset value, for instance 50 C. As long as the thermostat 34 remains below the preset value, or if it again drops below this value, the pump 4 is again disconnected.

When the maximum temperature thermostat 35, identified with TM3 in the circuit diagram of FIG. 2, detects a temperature corresponding to or in excess of its preset value, for example 100 C., it deactivates operation of the burners 6; however, pumps 4, 4 continue to operate and circulate water through the heater circuit to the radiators. A decrease in the temperature detected by the thermostat 35 will again result in switching on of the burners 6.

If the temperature of water returning from the radiators 15 through the conduits 16 and 17 to the filter unit 3 is higher than the preset temperature of thermostat 33, identified with TMI in FIG. 2, such temperature for instance being C., the thermostat 33 will again deactivate the burners 6 and will switch them back on only when it detects that the temperature drops below the predetermined value.

The room temperature thermostat 36, identified as DMA in FIG. 2, is operatively associated with the aforementioned thermostats as well as the outside sensor 19 and acts upon the other thermostats-in dependence upon the temperature which it detects in the area heated by the radiators l5 and also in dependence upon the signals derived from the sensor l9 to obtain an increase or a decrease of the temperature in the water circulating through the heating circuit.

The system is extremely well protected against damage by the fact that either an insufficient level of liquid in the tank 2 or stoppage of the pump 4 will terminate operation of the burners 6.

The water circulating in the hot water circuit as a result of the provision of the pump 31 continually passes through the portion 27 of the feeder line 28 of the hot water circuit; it is self-evident that the configuration of the portion 27 may be other than the loop-shaped outline shown in the drawing. In any case, the continuous circulation of the water through the hot water circuit constantly supplies water heated in the heat exchanger 12 to the user devices 29 so that there is no waiting for hot water whenever one of the user devices is utilized to withdraw water from the hot water circuit. Because of the connection with the cold water input 26 any water withdrawn at one of the devices 29 is immediately replenished through the input 26 with cold water which, entering into the circuit upstream of the heat exchanger 12, must first pass through the same, or rather through the portion 27 associated with the same, and is thus necessarily heated before it can arrive at one of the user devices 29. This virtually precludes the possibility that one of the user devices 29 might receive cold water at any time.

For summertime operation the operational mode identified with DV is set on the switchboard D of FIG. 2. This deactivates operation of the pumps 4, 4 and with this setting the inactivity of these pumps does not result in shutdown of the burners 6. Rather, the burners 6 continue operating as required and water is supplied from the tank 2 to the boiler 5 to be heated therein and to pass through the conduit 11 into the heat exchanger 12 and from there to return through conduit 13 to the boiler, this circulation being maintained by pump I4. If steam is produced during this operation in the conduits ll, 13, or if part of the hot water manages to escape from the thus-established circulation, the bypass 18 returns it to filter 3 from where it passes again through the conduit 25 into the boiler 5.

I have already indicated that any conventional type of radiator may be used for the radiators of FIG. 1. However, I have provided a particularly simple and advantageous type of radiator which I have illustrated in FIGS. 3-5. It consists of a ribbed pipe, and in the illustrated embodiment more particularly of a curved pipe of substantially U-shaped outline having two legs 37a, and 37b whose open ends 38 and 39, respectively, are connected with flexible elbow pieces 40 of known construction with the conduits of the heating circuit. Ribs or fins 41 are provided which may be integral with or separately applied to the pipe and which extend from one to the other of the legs 37a, 37b, serving to radiate heat which is transmitted to them from the legs 37a, 37b, or rather from the heated water therein, by heat exchange.

Installation of this highly simple radiator can be readily accomplished by means of the mounting brackets which I have shown in FIG. 5. They are of somewhat box-shaped configuration having a bottom wall 43 and two sidewalls 44 and 45 which extend at right angles to one another as well as at a right angle to the bottom wall 43 as shown in FIG. 5. Holes 47 are provided in one of the sidewalls, here the sidewall 45, and serve to mount the bracket to a supporting structure, such as a wall. The other of the sidewalls, here the one identified with reference numeral 46, is provided in its free edge portion with the cutouts or recesses 46 which accommodate the legs 37a, 37b of the radiator. Two of these brackets are provided, one at each end of the elongation of the U-shaped configuration of the pipe. If a box, cover or the like is placed over the thus-com structed radiators, as indicated diagrammatically at reference numeral 48 in FIG. 4, the bottom walls 43 of the two brackets will prevent escape of rising air, forcing it to pass through the blades 41 so as to become heated thereby.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of constructions differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as em bodied in a heating and hot water supply system, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Iclaim:

l. A system of the character described, comprising a pair of discrete fluid-containing circuits each having a portion adjacent to but out of communication with the other, one of said circuits being a heating circuit and the other of said circuits being a hot water circuit; a supply tank for supplying fluid interposed in said one circuit, and inlet means connecting said supply tank with a source of fluid; heat-dissipating means and heating means provided in one of said circuits at spaced locations thereof; circulating means operative for effecting circulating of fluids in said circuits; heat-exchanger means associated with both of said circuits and operative for effectin heat exchange between the fluids m the ad acent portions 0 said circuits whereby the fluid in the other of said circuits is indirectly heated by said heating means provided in said one circuit; and level-control means associated with said inlet means for maintaining fluid in said supply tank at a predetermined level, and including a control arrangement for starting and stopping operation of said heating means in response'to the liquid in said supply tank rising and falling below a predetermined level.

2. A system as defined in claim 1, said circulating means including pump means provided in said one and said other circuit.

3. A system as set forth in claim 2, said pump means in said one circuit including at least a single pump.

4. A system as defined in claim 2, said supply tank being associated with said one circuit upstream of said pump means therein; and further comprising filter means provided at least in said one circuit intermediate said pump means and said supply tank for protecting the former against filterable contaminants in the fluid supplied by said supply tank.

5. A system as defined in claim 2, said one circuit including bypass means communicating with the remainder of said one circuit upstream and downstream of said heat-dissipating means so as to enable circulation of fluid in said one circuit while bypassing said heat-dissipating means.

6. A system as defined in claim 1, further comprising at least one fluid outlet provided in said other circuit downstream of said heat-exchanger means; and fluid supply means associated with said other circuit upstream of said heat-exchanger means and operative for replacing fluid withdrawn from said other circuit through said fluid outlet.

7. A system as defined in claim 1, and further comprising draining means associated with and operable for drawing fluid from both of said circuits.

8. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein said heat-dissipating means comprises at least one radiator including a pipe of substantially U-shaped configuration having two legs each having an open end communicating with said one circuit, and a plurality of heat-radiating members carried by said pipe and extending from one to the other of said legs.

9. A system as defined in claim 8, wherein said pipe consists of at least two sections.

10. A system as defined in claim 8, said radiator further comprising a pair of mounting brackets at opposite ends of said U-shaped pipe and adapted to be mounted on a support, said brackets each including a first wall arranged to face lengthwise of the U-shaped pipe, and two additional walls extending at a right angle to one another and to said first wall from one side thereof, said additional walls having free edges and the free edge of one of said additional walls being provided with two recesses each of which is positioned and dimensioned to supportingly receive one of said legs therein.

11. A system as defined in claim 1, said circulating means including two pumps in said one circuit, and said control arrangement being further operative for starting one of said pumps in response to starting of said heating means, and for starting and stopping operation of the other of said pumps in response to the temperature of fluid in said one circuit respectively decreasing and increasing beyond a predetermined value.

12. A system as defined in claim 1, said control arrangement further comprising varying means operative for varying the temperature offluids in said circuits.

13. A system as defined in claim 12, wherein said varying means varies the temperature of fluids in at least one of said circuits in automatic response to changes in the ambient temperature. 

1. A system of the character described, comprising a pair of discrete fluid-containing circuits each having a portion adjacent to but out of communication with the other, one of said circuits being a heating circuit and the other of said circuits being a hot water circuit; a supply tank for supplying fluid interposed in said one circuit, and inlet means connecting said supply tank with a source of fluid; heat-dissipating means and heating means provided in one of said circuits at spaced locations thereof; circulating means operative for effecting circulating of fluids in said circuits; heat-exchanger means associated with both of said circuits and operative for effecting heat exchange between the fluids in the adjacent portions of said circuits whereby the fluid in the other of said circuits is indirectly heated by said heating means provided in said one circuit; and level-control means associated with said inlet means for maintaining fluid in said supply tank at a predetermined level, and including a control arrangement for starting and stopping operation of said heating means in response to the liquid in said supply tank rising and falling below a predetermined level.
 2. A system as defined in claim 1, said circulating means including pump means provided in said one and said other circuit.
 3. A system as set forth in claim 2, said pump means in said one circuit including at least a single pump.
 4. A system as defined in claim 2, said supply tank being associated with said one circuit upstream of said pump means therein; and further comprising filter means provided at least in said one circuit intermediate said pump means and said supply tank for protecting the former against filterable contaminants in the fluid supplied by said supply tank.
 5. A system as defined in claim 2, said one circuit including bypass means communicating with the remainder of said one circuit upstream and downstream of said heat-dissipating means so as to enable circulation of fluid in said one circuit while bypassing said heat-dissipating means.
 6. A system as defined in claim 1, further comprising at least one fluid outlet provided in said other circuit downstream of said heat-exchanger means; and fluid supply means associated with said other circuit upstream of said heat-exchanger meaNs and operative for replacing fluid withdrawn from said other circuit through said fluid outlet.
 7. A system as defined in claim 1, and further comprising draining means associated with and operable for drawing fluid from both of said circuits.
 8. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein said heat-dissipating means comprises at least one radiator including a pipe of substantially U-shaped configuration having two legs each having an open end communicating with said one circuit, and a plurality of heat-radiating members carried by said pipe and extending from one to the other of said legs.
 9. A system as defined in claim 8, wherein said pipe consists of at least two sections.
 10. A system as defined in claim 8, said radiator further comprising a pair of mounting brackets at opposite ends of said U-shaped pipe and adapted to be mounted on a support, said brackets each including a first wall arranged to face lengthwise of the U-shaped pipe, and two additional walls extending at a right angle to one another and to said first wall from one side thereof, said additional walls having free edges and the free edge of one of said additional walls being provided with two recesses each of which is positioned and dimensioned to supportingly receive one of said legs therein.
 11. A system as defined in claim 1, said circulating means including two pumps in said one circuit, and said control arrangement being further operative for starting one of said pumps in response to starting of said heating means, and for starting and stopping operation of the other of said pumps in response to the temperature of fluid in said one circuit respectively decreasing and increasing beyond a predetermined value.
 12. A system as defined in claim 1, said control arrangement further comprising varying means operative for varying the temperature of fluids in said circuits.
 13. A system as defined in claim 12, wherein said varying means varies the temperature of fluids in at least one of said circuits in automatic response to changes in the ambient temperature. 